A MOUNTSORREL man who was recently diagnosed with a rare disease says he won’t let his course of chemotherapy treatment get in the way of running this month’s Loughborough Half Marathon.

Martin Makin, 39, of Willow Grove, has had his world turned upside down in the past nine months by Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), which causes inflammation in blood vessels.

A distance running regular, Martin has a Half Marathon personal best of 77mins and finished third in last season’s Leicestershire Road Running Winter League.

Initially last May when he first noticed there was something wrong, the Charnwood Athletic Club member thought he had developed hayfever.

But within months he’d started losing his hearing in both ears, struggled with his balance and breathing, and experienced excruciating pain.

Following several misdiagnoses, operations and medical tests, Martin finally had a correct diagnosis last October. Little is known about GPA, which affects about 20 people in every million, or what triggers it, and so Martin is getting back into running to help raise funds for Vasculitis UK despite his punishing course of treatment.

“I’m on steroids every day for the foreseeable future and have to undergo chemotherapy for six months to lower my immune system,” said Martin. “I’m quite lucky really as it’s not affected my lungs and kidneys which it can do.

“I’ve just decided to get on with things best I can and just be positive. You can’t let it rule your life.”

Slowly Martin’s hearing is returning, though it may not return fully and he still has hearing aids, and he’s had to move into an office job at Swithland Spring Water where he’s worked for around 13 years as he no longer drives. He also says it’s ‘handy’ that with his biweekly chemotherapy, he’ll have eight days rest before the Loughborough Half on Sunday March 23.

And despite his illness, he’s still looking to record a time of well under two hours.

“It’s been hard getting back running,” Martin continued. “I’m nowhere near the level I used to be at and I won’t be for a while but I needed something to focus on so I thought I’d do the Loughborough Half and raise a bit of money.

“I’m just glad I’m able to do it and as long as I can put one front in front of the other I’ll keep going. I will get round.

“Everyone’s been so positive. My work, family and friends and friends have been so supportive in everything I’m doing and that’s helped a lot.”